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Kara Edgerson | Manager of Digital Operations
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| Gallego, a five-term member of Congress, will become Arizona’s first Latino elected to the U.S. Senate and only the 13th nationally. He will succeed U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. |
| This week, we spoke with Elvia Diaz, who oversees the editorial team at The Republic where she has worked since 1999, about Gallego’s win and what it means to Arizona and the Latino community. |
| Here’s what she had to say: |
‘Ruben’s victory is inspirational’
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| Ruben Gallego is a child of immigrants who found his way to Harvard, Iraq and Congress. Now, he’s Arizona’s first Latino U.S. senator. What does this historic win mean for Arizona and the Latino community? |
| Ruben’s victory is inspirational on so many levels. It tells poor kids with the odds stacked against them that there’s a future, that there’s a way to reach one’s own dreams. Often, a glimmer of hope is all it takes to propel somebody forward. Ruben didn’t have it easy. He slept on floors and had multiple jobs to help his single mom make ends meet while studying. |
| That’s what I call a role model. Why is that important? Because minorities, poor or not, often must work twice as hard as anyone else to prove their worth. That happens across industries. In politics, Ruben had to do that, plus appeal to a broader, multiracial and multifaceted electorate. That had been impossible in Arizona’s history until now. |
| The first thing I tweeted when Ruben won was the rallying cry, “SÍ, Se Puede/Yes, It Can Be Done.” I’m sure many others felt that way because his victory is a testament to his resilience and our own as Latinos and Latinas. Good-hearted people get elected, of course, but there’s no substitute for having somebody represent you who knows what it means to be the underdog, to have nothing but hope. |
‘The future is bright for Latinos in Arizona’
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| In 2018, you wrote about how Sen. John McCain wanted a Latina successor and encouraged Gov. Doug Ducey to fulfill his wishes. Though at the time, no name stood out as being ready for national prime time. You urged more Latinos — Democrats, Republicans, and independents — to step up and, importantly, show up at the ballot box. In the last six years, what changed in Arizona’s Latino community and political scene that led to a shift for Gallego to emerge and make history? |
| They did step up, right? Ruben is prime example. He emerged, in part, from Arizona’s repressive anti-immigrant laws and the need for Hispanics to be represented everywhere at the highest levels. |
| There is an impressive bench now of Latinos in high-level elected offices. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes leads the pack. So does Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, as well as Corporation Commissioner Lea Marquez Petersen, U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani and the new speaker of the Arizona House, Steve Montenegro. |
| It won’t be easy. But the future is bright for Latinos in Arizona across the political spectrum. |
| The Republic editorial team played a key role in helping our readers understand the 2024 general election through different perspectives. You all held officials accountable while also offering explainers on our long election ballot, among other things. What can our readers expect from your team as Gallego, President-elect Donald Trump and other new leaders take office? |
| I’m proud to lead one of the most experienced teams of journalists in the industry. We’re racially and philosophically diverse. What distinguishes us is our fearlessness to call out anyone, regardless of political affiliation, when we see wrongdoing or abusive behavior. We try to make sense of the news with directness and clarity. |
| I’m committed to bringing outside voices to our pages. I‘ve spent a lot of time recruiting and coaching people to write. I’ll be honest. Most of the time, those columns never see the light of day for various reasons, but I won’t give up. |
| Readers can expect the same commitment and rigor in our reporting and crafting our opinions based on facts. Our work often draws criticism across the board, and to me, that means we’re doing it right. |
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